Chelsea’s Cole Palmer scores record four first-half goals

Cole Palmer became the first player to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League match as the forward repeatedly found the back of the net in Chelsea’s extraordinary game against Brighton at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The 22-year-old scored four times in a devastating 20-minute spell against the south coast club as Chelsea bounced back from Georginio Rutter’s opener to lead 4-2 at half-time.

Palmer scored in the 21st, 28th, 31st and 41st minutes.

He previously scored four goals in a single match for Chelsea last season in a 6-0 win over Everton in April.

Palmer has become the fourth player — alongside Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink — to score three Premier League hat tricks for Chelsea.

The game against Brighton was only Palmer’s 39th league appearance for Chelsea after joining from Manchester City in 2023.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report